Weekends are made of...

Weekends in the Wood household are made of:

adorable multi-purpose halloween blankets that make for perfect backdrops for photos.. 

warm walking shawls...

and comfy naptime throws..

They're made of happy husbands...

Homemade lasagna served on fancy dixie plates...

baby gazing

and baby naps...

halloween diapers

and spiderweb wraps.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and has an even better rest of the week!

Date Night

Friday night Miles and I went downtown and had our first date since Luca was born. It was so nice to get some one on one time uninterrupted and with no responsibilities for a few hours. This was Luca's face when we broke the news to him that we would be leaving him for the night...(and I'm not gonna lie, it was just as difficult for me!) It's funny how you think that at this age they'll actually notice you're gone or won't get by without you while your away. I'll tell you something though, as soon as I handed Luca off to my granny he wouldn't have cared or noticed if I'd have left for the entire week! He was just as content as could be, which of course made me a little sad, but I knew he was in good hands so I got over it.

Getting out helped me to reclaim my identity outside motherhood and made me realize how good it feels to just do you sometimes. Being consumed by your baby those first few months sometimes makes you forget who you were before they made their way into your life. For me, the line between Mama and Chelsie had become a bit blurred, but I seemed to pick up right where I had left off. 

You know I couldn't pass up a photo op with a fall display on a street corner in little Italy. 

Or throwing in this random yet perfect e-greeting that describes precisely how I feel.

Miles and I found an adorable Italian restaurant to eat at called La Villa. I saw Butternut Squash Ravioli on the menu and decided we need not look further, although indecisive me ended up ordering something totally different. 

Blame it on Fall, but I'm in a soup craze. My passion for anything warm and cozy cannot be tamed. From the first of September until Valentines Day I revel in the cool weather and will look for any excuse to bundle up,  throw on a sweater, and serve myself something hot in a bowl.  

Miles and I recovered that romance that tends to get brushed off to the side somewhere between warming bottles and changing diapers. It was like beginning anew. We ate good food, and talked and talked. We shared laughs and of course could not resist babbling on about how much we love our baby boy. Since Luca, I have fallen in love with my husband all over again, but for different reasons than I had before. As each new challenge or chapter unveils itself I know at my core that we will get through. Somehow, someway we will always find our way back to one another. If I've learned anything, I've come to know that the good times will always be good, and getting through the hard times makes the good times that much better and our relationship that much stronger. 

Here's to living a real life fairytale. xoxo.

Holiday Craft Fair

My sister and I will be running a booth selling my garlands at this holiday craft fair! If you live in the San Diego area come pay us a visit! We'd love to see you! 

The String and Needle Co.

Recently I started creating holiday garlands, banners, and bunting, which in short is how my Etsy shop The String and Needle Co. came about. It was born in the sewing nook of my home in Mission Bay shortly after Luca was born. These days I feel motivated to do what I truly love because life's way too short to be daydreaming. 

Here's some what I've been creating:

Another post about Luca

Here's a sneak preview of Luca's halloween "day" costume. I say "day" because he has more than just one costume. He'll be a dinosaur throughout the day and at night he'll break out into his custom costume. We won't be premiering his other costume until halloween because Luca requested a suspense build up! So stay tuned and trust me when I say it will be worth the wait! 

But really...since when do dinos have ghost socks and leggings?

From the day we brought him home, this baby has been flexing those legs straight. Not to mention,

I'm completely jealous of the muscular tone in his thighs. How does a youngster keep so sculpted? 

It's as if he was doing squats in the womb...

Exhibit A

As far as upper body goes, I've yet to find Luca's neck, and tell me those chubby cheeks aren't the best thing since sliced bread! Being constantly surrounded by two such handsome men can be overwhelming, but I've adjusted just fine ;) And Miles is such a good dad...He and Luca are two peas in a pod. Somehow, even after all the time I spend with Luca, he gives Miles his biggest gummy smiles, his loudest giggles and squeaks, and his most drooly of kisses. It's as if he saves them up just for him completely unfair. 

How could I ever deny him? He looks up at me and those big blue eyes just beam "mama!" and my heart could burst into a million pieces.

I'm constantly thinking up different topics to blog about but somehow as I scroll through my thousands of pictures of Luca (literally, thousands) I can't seem to stop talking about how happy he makes me, and of course I have to throw in a couple brags in true mom form. Since Luca, life feels so natural, my life feels so purposeful and I just want to share it with the world! Eventually I'll write about other things but this blog was intended to document the life and times of my family and right now this is my world. Just as I finished typing that last sentence Luca began fussing. I went over and picked him up and draped him atop my chest. He instantly relaxed and his legs curled up into the fetal position. He fell asleep with his arms hugging around me. He needs me, and I can't tell you how amazing that feels. And on that note, I'm calling it a night.

I'm glad I live in a world where there are Octobers

 In recent times we've dedicated Sundays to tying up loose ends from the week and ordering sushi take-out, so much so that we've dubbed sundays "sushi sundays." Once you have an infant you develop a whole new appreciation for phrases like 'take-out' and 'ordering in,' and you begin asking questions such as "why is room service only offered in hotels?" Anyhow, we sit on the floor in true Japanese style and eat at the coffee table. Miles uses chopsticks and I use my fingers because I have absolutely no chopstick coordination. Absolutely none whatsoever. I only use chopsticks when I have one of those plastic chopstick cheater things they give to kids that turn chopsticks into tweezers. Sad, I know. I usually get super excited when I realize it's sushi sunday, but for some reason I was over it this week. 

  This past Sunday brought with it a chill in the air so I decided we'd do 'soup sundays' instead of sushi, and I cooked up a pot of homemade butternut squash soup in true fall fashion. The soup was overly delicious. I'd go so far as to say it was on the same delicious level as Nordstrom's tomato soup which is basically like calling myself Wolfgang Puck. You can find the recipe I used here. I spiced things up a bit further by adding to each bowl a tablespoon of heavy cream and a dash of cinnamon. As an added bonus, making this soup allowed me to successfully check off my first completed task on my fall bucket list. Double win! or should I say BAM! Oh wait, that's Emeril Legasse...

Luca is 12 weeks old today! His personality is just blossoming day by day and he's on the verge of laughing. He's soooo close! Right now he just does the silent crack up which cracks me up, and every once in a while he'll do the under his breath giggle which is flat out hilarious because it sounds like he's fake laughing. One of these days, very soon, he's going to let out the biggest belly laugh, I can just sense it. But one thing is for certain, this child loves to smile. I have one happy kid. Festive too, I might add. He takes after his mama.

He also loves his sleep. We go on daily walks around the bay, and every time we only make it about ten feet before he is out like a light. Put me in a stroller with the sound of the tide rolling in, fresh air in my face, and I'd be out too. It's a good thing Luca wont remember living here because anywhere we move from here on out is a total downgrade. It's also a shame he wont have recollections of it all because this place is so special and beautiful and these are some of the best times of my life. 

 I complain about being tired and having to stay up to feed the little guy, but truthfully I don't mind. He'll only be this small for such a short time and someday I'll long for the days when he was still small enough to cuddle on my chest. 

On a side note these are the most comfortable pajama leggings of all time. If I could wear them all day and everyday I would. Who am I kidding, I usually do. Just ask my husband.

I found this touch and feel book on amazon and had to scoop it up for Luca. The title alone sold me. I love sharing with him all the wonderful things that make fall the best season of all! And I love reading to him. I hope he grows to love reading as much as I do. I long for the day when he turns that first magical page...right now he eats books.

We started putting out a ton of fall decorations. Unfortunately, most of our decorations are in storage so next year we'll go all out. I know what you're thinking, "this isn't considered all out?!" 

One thing I've learned about having nearly everything I own in storage is that I get by just fine without all the 'stuff' I thought I needed. It's nice to know you aren't bound to 'things.' This holiday season I really want to concentrate on my relationships--being a better listener, a better friend, and really being present. The iPhone has really put a damper on face-to-face communication. It's one of those 'things' I am talking about being bound too. As great as it is, it is also really annoying. That turned into a side tangent, I'm just rambling now, but how adorable are these Martha Stewart pinwheels???

 and how cute is this baby boy in his bath tub?!

Tuesday Snoozeday, Hope you have a good one!

Fall Bucket List

Fall is in the air! My sister dubbed it so perfectly, she exclaimed..."Falleluja!" Autumn is by far my favorite season. I love everything about it from the chunky knit sweaters to the cool crisp air to the pumpkin spice lattes or pumpkin spice anything for that matter, oh how I could go on and on. I even ordered Luca a texture book called "I Love Fall"--that is how much of a fall-fanatic I am. I cannot wait to experience the greatest time of year and all of its glorious wonders with my family. Here is my fall bucket list:

What are some of your favorite fall activities? Hope everyone has a wonderful fall-filled weekend! xo

Two Months

Well, it's official, we are parents to a 2 month old! 

  1-Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym- We chose this play mat because of all of it's vibrant colors and Luca is at the stage where he is drawn to bright colors. He loves it! It plays music and has flashing lights that get Luca all excited. It's nice to have something for him to interact with and keep him busy when I need to wash a bottle or get dressed for that matter! 
  2-The Honest Company Diapers & Wipes Bundle- We originally wanted to cloth diaper Luca since disposables are so bad for the environment and for landfills, but we don't have a washer and dryer at home and with how many soiled diapers we dispose of it would be totally impractical to try and hand wash or laundromat them (we'd be going through quarters like crazy!), so we settled on these. Honest diapers are Jessica Alba's eco-friendly company, and we really love them! They ship a months supply of diapers and wipes right to your doorstep, shipping included for only $80 a month, and most importantly they are hypoallergenic, plant based, and biodegradable. They have adorable prints on them too!
  3-The Wrap by Solly Baby- This baby wrap is made by an adorable stay at home mom. I first saw the wrap featured in Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine, and then after doing a little research I decided it was the one for me! It's made with organic materials and dyes and comes in a handful of colors. I decided on the natural tone striped version because it matches with everything. It makes baby wearing extremely comfortable and easy, and Luca loves being cozy to my chest. He falls asleep in it every time we go for a walk, and it leaves me handsfree which is great! The wrap even has a sewn-in pocket to store baby's paci or your car keys.
  4-Johnson's Baby Cologne- Miles picked this up a week before we brought Luca home. He thought it was only right for the little prince to have cologne. I laughed at first thinking it was a joke, but now I am totally sold on this stuff! I don't actually put it on his skin, I just rub a little between my palms and rub it on his onesie, and bam! he's smelling baby fresh immediately! It keeps Luca smelling good in between baths and who doesn't love the smell of a clean baby?!
  5-Elliot the Elephant Cool Mist Crane Humidifier- Poor baby had his first cold a few weeks ago and it was awful! his nose would get so congested and he had little coughing fits that just broke my heart to hear. We used a humidifier along with elevating his head to keep his nasal passageway clear through the night, and this cute elephant turned out to be really effective in decongesting his tiny nose. Just keep your nasal aspirator nearby because you'll be needing it!
  6-Trumpette 'Skater' Socks Box Set- These were a gift, and I found that the Trumpette brand has a whole assortment of really cute sock-shoes! These ones resemble vans slip-ons and have little rubber grips on their bottoms, not that Luca needs those quite yet, but they sure make all of his outfits look that much more adorable! With all the cute colors, there is always a pair to match him!
  7-Eric Carle Chime Set Carseat Toy- These are "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" inspired, and they chime rather than rattle so it's much softer on your ears. They velcro so you can clip them onto your carseat or stroller. Too cute :)
  8-Snugli Camo Carrier- Miles' only want when he found out we were having a baby was a bjorn to carry around the little one. He wants Luca to be able to see everything he is seeing when he's out and about. We got a bjorn for our shower but found this camo one and couldn't pass it up. Apparently he thought my Solly Baby was way too girly looking!
  9-Boon Twig Attachment- This is an attachment for the boon grass drying rack, and I find this works much better than the flower attachment for drying nipples, pacifiers, or any other attachments really. There are more places to hang and dry on the twig while the flower works better for drying smaller parts. Somehow we've accumulated tons of pacifiers and bottle parts and so we find it helpful to use both.
10-Munchkin Formula Dispenser- This stores three servings of formula powder and is great for the diaper bag when your out and about. You can pre-measure your formula and then just plop it into your bottle when it comes time to feed.
11-Ball Mason Quart Jar- These are great for storing pre-made formula. We make 4-5 bottles worth of formula at a time and we prepare and store it in these bottles. They are easy to clean and sterilize, plus you don't have to worry about your baby's milk sitting in plastic for hours at a time.